【Your journey is long and desolate】
【But you’ve long grown accustomed to it】
【After twenty days of wandering and resting, you arrive at a small city—one with walls, unlike the villages, and scattered wizards among its populace】
【Like you, they are mere apprentices, the weakest of their kind, not yet Formal Wizards】
【Yet in this city, even wizard apprentices command reverence, adored by the common folk. After a moment’s thought, you decide to linger here awhile】
【This year, you are 18】
【The existence of Life-Death Intertwined and Soul Reaper hastens your soul’s metamorphosis. You immerse yourself in cultivation, declining invitations to lavish banquets】
【Only when gatherings of wizard apprentices convene do you emerge from seclusion, exchanging knowledge and insights】
【You learn the complete hierarchy of realms】
【In the world of wizards, realms are measured in Circles】
【A zero-circle wizard apprentice merely possesses a soul slightly stronger than an ordinary person’s】
【A Formal Wizard, or First-Circle Wizard, bears unmistakable supernatural traits, delving deep into soul research, capable of etching spell structures into their own soul】
【This stage signifies a wizard’s transcendence over life and death】
【Blurring the line between the living and the dead】
【First-Circle, Second-Circle, Third-Circle, Fourth-Circle… up to the Seventh-Circle Wizards—legendary beings revered as the pinnacle of existence—step into true immortality, their souls unbound by the Underworld】
【They may even enter the Underworld itself, becoming eternal rulers of a soul-laden plane】
……
【Simulation Year Two, you are 19】
【Your cultivation progresses swiftly. Unbeknownst to others, your soul reaches the limits of apprenticeship】
【Silently, you thank the countless skeleton soldiers for their contributions】
【You begin selecting the foundational spell to etch into your soul—your cornerstone, the first step toward greater heights】
【You ponder this for a long, long time】
【Simulation Year Three, you are 20】
【Your apprentice soul reaches its peak. You cease suppressing it, carving your foundational spell amidst surging soul tides】
【First-Circle Spell · Life’s Decay】
【Among all the spells you could find, this one best aligns with the Life-Death Intertwined trait, straddling the domains of life and death】
【Breakthrough, ascension, stabilization—your realm advances to First-Circle Wizard】
【You sense your soul sharpening, your understanding of the deathly aura shrouding the world deepening】
【It’s a fresh perspective, untouched even by the shared authority of the Witch】
【You keep a low profile, announcing nothing of your advancement. Only in the dead of night do you depart the city that sheltered you for two years】
【Once more, you embark on a journey】
【Bound for lands teeming with undead, or true gatherings of wizards】
【The former strengthens your soul; the latter offers the knowledge you seek. To you, both hold equal weight】
【Fortune favors you】
【As a Formal Wizard, you now wield more methods and spells, sparing you the indignity of traveling on foot】
……
The simulation proceeded smoothly, yet not without twists.
In previous runs,
Xu Xi had often remained in one place for long stretches.
But this necromantic path kept him almost constantly on the move, for the ruined world was too barren, vast stretches of it lifeless and silent.
Wraiths, skeletons, mutated corpses—
These formed the world’s norm.
Though he harvested many soul flames, drastically shortening his cultivation time, the oppressive gloom of desolation left him ill at ease.
“In this simulation, strength progression is secondary.”
“Reaching the minimum threshold to study souls is enough.”
“The real-world me…”
“With this cross-applicable knowledge, can grow far stronger. Whether I become a high-realm wizard is merely a bonus.”
“Once I find a suitable place to settle, I’ll build a wizard tower and stay put.”
Seated atop a featherless bone bird,
Xu Xi closed his eyes, contemplating his next steps.
Souls.
Death.
These were the themes of his fifth simulation, the focus of his research.
With the Life-Death Intertwined trait, he was certain he’d uncover something of value eventually.
“Lately, my soul flames are depleting too quickly. Time to replenish them.”
Xu Xi paused mid-flight.
Guiding the bone bird downward,
He aimed for the nearest village—to restock supplies and slay undead for their soul flames.
Whoosh—
Luck was with him. Soon, he spotted his target:
A small village under siege by undead.
A modest horde, no more than twenty strong. Xu Xi landed early, approaching to cast his spells—
When a rusted gauntlet shoved him back.
“Outsider, stand down.”
“Leave this to the Hero.”
Xu Xi: ?
This world has a Hero? Seriously?
The heavy metal armor was caked in brown mud, its surface scarred by rust and wear.
Full coverage, sealed tight.
No glimpse of the figure within, only a hollow voice issuing from the helm, commanding Xu Xi to halt.
The unnamed Hero advanced alone, clad in iron, a greatsword in hand, charging forth to rescue villagers from the undead’s onslaught.
Iron boots crumbled decayed bones underfoot.
The heavy blade flashed, extinguishing soul flames with each swing.
“Look! The Hero’s holy sword!”
A rescued villager cheered, pointing excitedly at the armored figure. Xu Xi saw it too—the faint glow of souls along the blade.
A shimmering light, radiant in the gloom.
Beneath the shrouded sun, that sword shone like a seed of hope, igniting the eyes of the despairing.
“Behold! The Hero’s holy light!”
Another villager cried out.
The armored figure strode forward, fist clenched, wreathed in a milky-white haze—then smashed a skeleton’s skull to splinters.
“Hero!”
“Hero!”
The village’s crisis ended in cheers. A child rushed forth, offering a woven grass crown to the armored savior.
This…
Xu Xi watched, brow furrowed.
Holy sword? Holy light? Something felt off.
“That ‘holy light’ earlier… if I’m not mistaken, was just an illusion.”
“The sword, the light—neither held real power.”
“I see…”
“It’s pure brute force, isn’t it?”
His gaze dropped to the gauntleted hands.
But—
With strength like that, why bother fabricating a “Hero” persona?
There was no need.
spital. Good news: I've bound a system. Bad news: I'm still a baby. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, do not bully the middle-aged for being poor — Divorce Comeback System." "Your marriage may have failed, but your luck in love has never run dry. Your childhood sweetheart, out of contact for twenty years, reappears. Her beauty remains, yet her eyes are brimming with tears." [Listen to the childhood sweetheart's sorrowful story.] Chen Zhi looked down at the diaper he was wearing, then at the little childhood sweetheart crying her heart out beside him, and fell into deep thought. Can anyone relate? I'm having a midlife crisis at an age where even rolling over is a struggle.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
